The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Neema Werema
10 August 2008
Arusha — A call has been made for agricultural experts in the country to be vigilant against people importing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as seeds since the government has not lifted its ban.
Dr Batilda Burian, the Minister of State in Vice Presdient's Office, made this appeal when officiating at the Nane Nane celebrations in the northern zone at the weekend.
She said the Government's ban on GMO seeds was still there, noting that some neighboring countries use some of them. She said agricultural experts were responsible to make sure such seeds do not make their way into the country.
"We have not yet lifted the ban on GMO seeds, so we need assistance of immigration officials at the borders to make sure that those seeds do not reach our farmers." the minister insisted.
However, she said that even if there are benefits from using the seeds, there are many disadvantages requiring an established system to handle those drawbacks so as to avoid negative effects on the farmers.
"There is research we wanted to do on coffee and cotton produce but we have realized that there are still many things we have to do before that and deciding to use such seeds,"she told the gathering.
Dr Burian said the Government still believes that quality seeds in the country were able to improve agricultural produce to benefit all citizens.
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